Back in the old days, this outside braced Wabash boxcar is being loaded with new car sides in Detroit for transportation to a plant in the Midwest, which was another big auto manufacturing region. (Photo: Courtesy of Union Pacific Museum)

The driver of a new Cadillac carefully drives up the auto ramp and enters the loading end of a string of auto racks. The ramps and bridge plates are all hydraulically operated for secure positioning to match the auto rack being loaded. (Photo: Michael D. Harding)

Booming demand for new cars is spilling over into a gold rush for the railroad industry as well.

More than 3,000 new rail car carriers are on order to handle the resurgent demand for new automobiles, says Trains magazine, which describes itself as the world's largest railroad publication.

For anyone who ever wondered how shiny new cars seem to magically appear at dealerships around the country, the magazine says it explains it all in its next issue.

In its 50-page report in the November issue, Trains notes the latest developments in moving cars by rail and shows the routes from the plants to markets.

"Auto shipping is a success story for railroads, and one that is booming now thanks to the robust market for new automobiles," says Editor Jim Wrinn in a statement. "It's a fascinating story of how railroads respond to a customer need."

The issue hits newsstands on Oct. 8.

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